10 Diet Tips to Gain Muscle Mass

You take the gym seriously, trains several times a week and always comes out exhausted from training, but still can not gain muscle? After checking the spreadsheet and check if everything is ok, the next step is to analyze the diet. Yes, because as important as the cargo and the number of series is the analysis of your daily diet.

Gain muscle, not fat

Many people still think that to gain muscle should consume a lot of high-calorie foods and ready. Or gain enough weight and then remove excess fat, as they did (and do) some professional bodybuilders.

Although you should actually consume more calories than your metabolism burning to be able to muscle hypertrophy, exaggerate in saturated fats and sugar will make you also unreasonably increase their rates of body fat.

And what good have strong muscles and developed if they are hidden behind a layer of fat, is not it? The secret is to maintain a high calorie diet - but healthy - rich in quality protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats, such as fish and olive oil.

Tips

Follow the diet tips below to gain muscle to get set and their hypertrophied muscles.

1. Consume more calories than you expend

In a world where almost everyone wants to lose weight, talk about weight gain is almost taboo. So it is difficult to sometimes understand that it is necessary to follow a high-calorie diet to gain muscle mass.

There is no ideal number of calories to get to hypertrophy even why it will depend on its energy needs, but as a rule try to consume around 500-600 calories more than you spend every day.

An example: If you burn 300 calories a day in physical activity and your basal metabolism consumes 200 calories, you should consume at least 2800-2900 kcal a diet to gain muscle mass.

2. Add more arginine to your diet

L-arginine is an essential amino acid which, according to recent studies show, can improve muscle recovery and stimulate the formation of new muscle fibers. This property is due to arginine amino acid is the precursor of nitric oxide, a natural vasodilator that increases blood flow.

More blood reaching the muscles equals more oxygen, amino acids and other nutrients available to the muscle tissue to regenerate and grow by promoting muscle mass.

In addition to arginine supplements for sale in sports supplements stores, you can increase the amount of the nutrient in your diet by eating foods such as seafood, lean red meat, eggs, lentils, soybeans and pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

3. Consume adequate amounts of protein

Who aims to gain lean mass should consume 1.5 to 2.2 g protein / kg every day. For an adult weighing 70 kg, this means ingesting at least 105 grams of protein daily.

4. Eat more fish

Fish are an excellent source of healthy protein and high biological value. In addition, fish such as sardines and tuna are rich in type of omega 3 fatty acids, a type of fat that strengthens the immune system and promotes the recovery and muscle growth (as well as many other health benefits).

Try to consume at least 200 g of cold water fish (although almost all fish are beneficial to health, are cold water containing omega 3) at least twice per week.

5. Do not skip the salad

Vegetables, fruits and vegetables are almost never present in the diet to gain muscle mass. But despite the great importance of proteins and carbohydrates, it is essential that you include at least 4-5 servings of vegetables a day in your diet, as these foods are important sources of nutrients for metabolism and for the formation of muscle mass .

Virtually all metabolic processes that occur daily in our body are dependent enzymes (among them the synthesis of proteins and fat burning), and vegetables are a great source of these compounds that accelerate our chemical reactions.

Pineapple, papaya, avocado, carrots, spinach, tomatoes and asparagus are some of the foods rich in enzymes and fiber that you can not help missing in your diet to gain muscle mass.

Another action of vegetables and legumes occurs in bowel function, a process that can be quite difficult by diets high in protein. The animal foods rich in protein are not sources of fiber, which can cause constipation in whom abolished the menu salad.

Complete the dish with leaves and vegetables of different colors will ensure you can get 25-30 grams of fiber that your body needs every day to promote good bowel function.

6. Preferably, the high biological value protein

We have seen that the diet to gain muscle mass should be rich in protein, but as important as the quantity is the quality of this nutrient. The higher concentration of amino acids and their assimilation by the body, the higher the biological value of the protein.

Some proteins are incomplete, ie not contain all the essential amino acids, such as beans and rice. While beans are rich in lysine and low in methionine, rice is deficient in lysine and high in methionine.

Incidentally, this is why the typical Brazilian dish is popular with athletes, since the rice mixed with beans are a great source of complete protein.

The animal protein contains all the amino acids needed to build muscle and have better utilization by the body. healthy sources of high biological value animal protein include whey protein, lean red meat, eggs, fish, white cheese and milk.

Already complete vegetable protein can be found in foods such as soy, quinoa, chia, hemp and buckwheat.

7. Drink water

You're probably tired of hearing this information, but there's no way, water is fundamental. And with statistics indicating that consume less than half the optimal amount of water that we take every day, this tip is more current than ever.

Each muscle alkyl can hold up to 3 times its weight in water, and the liquid is necessary to remove the toxins produced during the inflammatory process caused by intense workouts by weight. So, drink plenty of water is essential to promote recovery after the series drawn at the gym.

Another reason for you to drink plenty of water in the diet to gain muscle mass is that excess protein can recharge your kidneys, a situation that can be avoided by consuming at least 2.5 liters of water every day.

Remember that soft drinks, juices and other sugary drinks do not enter the account. Drink pure fresh water, adding at most a few chips ginger or peppermint leaves to facilitate the intake of the liquid.

8. Eat lots of carbs

Proteins build the muscles but are carbohydrates that provide energy for your workouts and for the entry of nutrients - including amino acids - in muscle cells.

The muscles and the liver stockpile energy from the digestion of carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, but in his absence, the liver is forced to resort to muscle protein for fuel.

Consuming adequate amounts of carbohydrate will ensure that oxygen, amino acids, vitamins and minerals reach their tissues efficiently, in addition also to prevent catabolism.

Also, the more carbohydrates you consume, the higher your insulin production, and high levels of this hormone will ensure that you remain in an anabolic state for longer. To know if you are consuming the right amount of carbohydrates in the diet to gain muscle mass, write down everything you consume in a day and make sure that at least 40-50% of your total calorie intake come from carbohydrates.

Concentrate their intake of carbohydrates low glycemic sources such as rice and bread, leaving use rapid absorption carbohydrates (such as dextrose and maltodextrin) in the periods before and after training, as will be important to cause an peak insulin will stimulate the entry of nutrients into the cells.

9. Never train hungry

Who goes to the gym in the morning still can feel difficulty eating upon waking, but it is necessary to make a strength not to get in the gym fasting. Besides the obvious lack of energy, train fasting will force the liver to use your precious muscle proteins as a fuel source for your workout.

In other words, your workout will not give up and you will still lose lean mass. If you feel sick to eat something solid, try to take a little shake of whey smoothie with banana, or just a glass of orange juice, for example.

As the training progresses and your stomach is "waking up", take the rest of the drink, not to run the risk of hypoglycaemia during their series.

10. Avoid processed foods on a daily basis

In addition to being "empty" many sources of calories - that is, that do not provide important nutrients for the body - processed foods will only increase your fat and leave you bloated, without actually was able to increase your muscle definition.

Excess sodium and sugar in fast food and snacks, sweets and crackers favor inflammation and hinder muscle regeneration, increasing its regeneration time and undermining its gains in the gym.

Give preference to more natural foods such as rice and wheat, lean meats, fish, sweet potatoes, fruit juices and vegetables. Let the treats for special occasions such as a party or a special dinner.

How to eliminate forever a certain diet food will only leave you more willing to devour him compulsively, the tip is to avoid daily consumption, leaving to savor the treat only occasionally.

If you tell yourself you'll never eat Oreo, for example, guess what you will want to eat at once? So keep a healthy diet on a daily basis, so there is no problem if you eat some biscuits or a chocolate occasionally.

Video: Do ​​not make these 4 errors!

nutritionist diet tips in the video that will appear below:

Take into consideration other factors

In addition to training and diet, pay attention to other factors that may also be hindering your muscle mass. proper rest, 8-10 hours of sleep per night and proper supplementation are other important aspects of hypertrophy that may be going unnoticed in your routine.

The rest post workout is essential to allow the muscle fibers damaged during the series to regenerate and grow, leading to hypertrophy. Since sleep is important because it is at night that the body produces much of the growth hormone will use to encourage, among other functions, the formation of new muscle fibers.

A rich supplementation in high biological value proteins - such as whey protein and BCAA - ensures that your muscles have all the nutrients needed to carry out protein synthesis and muscle growth.

And it is also worth remembering that stress, anxiety and depression are conditions that directly affect muscle mass, since in these situations the secret cortisol body. Highly catabolic, the hormone stimulates the breakdown of muscle proteins and hinders protein synthesis.